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It's called Rambling in Britain, Bush Walking in Australia, Tramping in NZ and Hiking in America.

Whatever it's called, welcome to my blog which is simply about journeys and life..... It shares stories, tales and thoughts, in prose, verse, photo and video. WALK ON RAMBLER

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Sunday, August 15, 2010

NOT QUITE MAROONED

MT BARNEY FROM THE SUMMIT OF MT MAROON




Mt Maroon is approx 100km south of Brisbane,  It stands solitary apart from the main range and commands 360 degree views of rhe scenic rim with its commanding  massive cousin Mt Barney adjacent to it.

While it is not too hard of a climb it can't be taken too lightly with a scramble up a ridge line and through outcrops, a crumbling traverse over to a chimney gully and then a rather  scrubby bush bash and slabs on the top.

It was a late decision on a beautiful sunny winter day that saw me at the base at 12.30pm.  I set myself a turn around time of 3pm and reckoned that would be getting me back before sunset.

The start is at a small off road and isolated spot charmingly called Cotswold and I was staggered by the number of cars there.  Everyone was choosing this as  Maroon day.

I soon met the descending group SES State Emergency Services
" Not a good idea to do this alone" said the leading walker who was armed with every saving device available it seemed on sight
." You're right. Not a good idea " said I already confirming that I had thought that I was letting my heart rule my reason....
Then there was a south sea islander church group..." we started at 8.30am" they said .. my legs pumped faster.
Ran into two lady walkers from the National parks Assoc.
."Always thought I might join that " I said
'We only walk slow" they said.
" Sounds like my sort of club " I said,

The traverse was slow and steep down to the chimney..The chimney at times hand over hand...Met a few brisbane Bushwalkers coming down and didn't really want to tell them who I was as the ethics of walking alone is not condoned  usually.

However, Chrissie Dott who went on a Binna Burra walk with me was there.  She is a great photographer and I am hoping for some pictures from her of the top of Maroon and of the surrounding mountains.

Into the saddle and scrub and fluked a group coming off the slabs where an indistinct but time saving track wound through the scrub.  Kept getting back markers as i climbed and thought" come three and I am out of here"
  reached the top at 3.05 and it was really spectacular.
Well three minutes of spectacle..then I was off.

Heard some shouting coming from the scrub..thought it was crows or birds and then as Isearched for the delivering track two SES guys in orange vests appeared.

"OK guys I'm pretty sure this is the track"  They looked lost and disoriented and I thought that I wouldn't want them to rescue me.  Then they were gone without so much as a how are you going etc....

The scrub where I had become a bit lost in past climbs was great and I made up time but the chimney was terrible.  I had to be specially careful as it was  getting dark and late in the shadow of the mountain.  Reached the bottom with much relief and then overbalanced and nearly continued the descent.

The traverse was OK but I thought  I would make time on the ridge but it was much crumbling rock and loose gravel.
Reached the car at 5.30pm without the use of a torch.
I was ready to camp out in the cold but felt that it wouldn't have been great to be marooned ( excuse the pun ) on this mountain.

Sunday, August 1, 2010

COOMERA FALLS -LAMINGTON NATIONAL PARK











I thought we had visited Coomera falls last year but it turned out it was three years since we were here.  That was a drought ago and now the area was all shades of green.

Another late start or was it a late night that made the start late?
  We didn't hit the track until one o,clock and luckily a late breakfast was good for a late lunch.

We drifted off the Border track after 2km and started to descend into the Coomera Gorge. The track passed through sub tropical and warm temperate rainforest which was wet and quite muddy. It soon passed into giant brush box forrest and then arrived at the gorge,
The gorge is 160metres deep with the falls plummenting 64m from the top of the crevice gorge . This is a particularly beautiful part of the Lamington National Park and we were sorry that the lateness in the day meant we couldn't continue...another day.